Annual Report 2015: Distribution of Eligible Students Based on the Federal Quota Census of January 6, 2014 (Fiscal Year 2015)

This chart lists the numbers of students registered by four major types of programs—Schools for the Blind, State Departments of Education, Programs for Students with Multiple Disabilities, and Rehabilitation Programs. The students are listed by grade and primary reading media.

Appropriate Use of Federal Quota Census Data

NOTICE: For Press Members and Researchers: The number of students who read braille in the United States CANNOT be determined from these data.

Before citing these data in a publication, please contact the American Printing House for the Blind at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

The specific purpose of the annual Federal Quota Census is to register students in the United States and Outlying Areas who meet the definition of blindness and are therefore eligible for adapted educational materials from APH through the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind.

Statements regarding student literacy, use of appropriate learning media, and students taught in a specific medium cannot be supported using APH registration data.

Infant Programs

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

176

71

197

3,021

1,013

4,478

State Departments of Education

166

62

84

1,967

748

3,027

Schools for the Blind

7

4

79

848

208

1,146

Rehabilitation Programs

3

5

34

189

54

285

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

17

3

20

Preschool

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

661

187

322

3,056

1,468

5,694

State Departments of Education

640

171

255

2,688

1,388

5,142

Schools for the Blind

16

15

61

340

57

489

Rehabilitation Programs

5

1

6

19

11

42

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

9

12

21

Kindergarten

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

838

221

160

844

716

2,779

State Departments of Education

808

210

143

745

675

2,581

Schools for the Blind

21

11

15

96

28

171

Rehabilitation Programs

9

0

2

3

8

22

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

5

5

Grade 1

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,002

244

149

556

645

2,596

State Departments of Education

973

228

134

522

626

2,483

Schools for the Blind

24

15

13

34

12

98

Rehabilitation Programs

5

1

1

0

6

13

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

1

0

1

2

Grade 2

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,064

258

154

393

696

2,564

State Departments of Education

1,027

231

143

354

683

2,438

Schools for the Blind

30

27

11

37

9

114

Rehabilitation Programs

7

0

0

2

3

12

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

1

1

Grade 3

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,112

280

156

303

713

2,564

State Departments of Education

1,083

252

148

264

695

2,442

Schools for the Blind

24

26

7

38

9

104

Rehabilitation Programs

5

2

1

1

3

12

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

6

6

Grade 4

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,221

278

146

230

636

2,511

State Departments of Education

1,165

240

133

195

624

2,357

Schools for the Blind

48

36

12

34

7

137

Rehabilitation Programs

8

2

0

0

3

13

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

1

1

2

4

Grade 5

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,258

318

169

196

640

2,587

State Departments of Education

1,209

284

157

173

623

2,446

Schools for the Blind

48

33

9

22

10

122

Rehabilitation Programs

7

1

3

1

2

14

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

5

5

Grade 6

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,258

313

177

152

607

2,507

State Departments of Education

1,184

262

163

133

578

2,320

Schools for the Blind

64

47

12

17

21

161

Rehabilitation Programs

9

4

1

2

5

21

Multiple Disabilities Programs

1

0

1

0

3

5

Grade 7

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,211

321

174

103

589

2,398

State Departments of Education

1,129

263

160

93

571

2,216

Schools for the Blind

72

58

13

9

13

165

Rehabilitation Programs

10

0

1

1

3

15

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

2

2

Grade 8

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,223

344

169

107

561

2,404

State Departments of Education

1,131

265

158

96

541

2,191

Schools for the Blind

83

76

11

11

15

196

Rehabilitation Programs

9

3

0

0

2

14

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

3

3

Grade 9

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,216

341

183

88

513

2,341

State Departments of Education

1,119

260

161

76

494

2,110

Schools for the Blind

91

79

19

12

14

215

Rehabilitation Programs

5

2

3

0

2

12

Multiple Disabilities Programs

1

0

0

0

3

4

Grade 10

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,208

307

200

83

494

2,292

State Departments of Education

1,119

229

172

69

477

2,066

Schools for the Blind

83

77

26

14

13

213

Rehabilitation Programs

5

1

2

0

2

10

Multiple Disabilities Programs

1

0

0

0

2

3

Grade 11

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,115

331

197

74

447

2,164

State Departments of Education

1,020

255

179

58

427

1,939

Schools for the Blind

83

76

18

16

16

209

Rehabilitation Programs

11

0

0

0

2

13

Multiple Disabilities Programs

1

0

0

0

2

3

Grade 12

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,404

451

272

89

824

3,040

State Departments of Education

1,290

324

232

72

783

2,701

Schools for the Blind

101

126

34

17

35

313

Rehabilitation Programs

13

1

6

0

2

22

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

4

4

Academic Nongraded

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

328

78

147

130

557

1,240

State Departments of Education

304

36

130

103

507

1,080

Schools for the Blind

23

42

17

27

48

157

Rehabilitation Programs

1

0

0

0

1

2

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

1

1

Transition Students (formerly Postgraduate)

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

131

72

77

18

82

380

State Departments of Education

78

32

34

13

62

219

Schools for the Blind

49

40

42

5

17

153

Rehabilitation Programs

4

0

1

0

1

6

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

0

2

2

Functional Curriculum (formerly Vocational)

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

328

57

238

160

897

1,680

State Departments of Education

291

34

152

113

854

1,444

Schools for the Blind

35

23

58

11

20

147

Rehabilitation Programs

2

0

2

4

9

17

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

26

32

14

72

Adult Students

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

1,739

728

1,752

151

3,799

8,169

State Departments of Education

336

212

580

82

2,103

3,313

Schools for the Blind

136

89

75

3

91

394

Rehabilitation Programs

1,226

405

996

39

393

3,059

Multiple Disabilities Programs

41

22

101

27

1,212

1,403

Other Registrants

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

610

133

756

716

5,135

7,350

State Departments of Education

553

110

653

638

4,802

6,756

Schools for the Blind

45

23

76

75

273

492

Rehabilitation Programs

12

0

27

1

15

55

Multiple Disabilities Programs

0

0

0

2

45

47

Grand Totals, Fiscal Year 2015

Visual Readers

Braille Readers

Auditory Readers

Pre-readers

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

Total

Totals

19,109

5,333

5,795

10,470

21,032

61,739

State Departments of Education

16,625

3,960

3,971

8,454

18,261

51,271

Schools for the Blind

1,083

923

608

1,666

916

5,196

Rehabilitation Programs

1,356

428

1,086

262

527

3,659

Multiple Disabilities Programs

45

22

130

88

1,328

1,613

Appropriate Use of Federal Quota Census Data

NOTICE: For Press Members and Researchers: The number of students who read braille in the United States CANNOT be determined from these data.

Before citing these data in a publication, please contact the American Printing House for the Blind at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

The specific purpose of the annual Federal Quota Census is to register students in the United States and Outlying Areas who meet the definition of blindness and are therefore eligible for adapted educational materials from APH through the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind.

Statements regarding student literacy, use of appropriate learning media, and students taught in a specific medium cannot be supported using APH registration data.

Student Percentages by Program Type

State Departments of Education

83.04%

Schools for the Blind

8.42%

Rehabilitation Programs

5.93%

Multiple Disabilities Programs

2.61%

Student Percentages by Primary Reading Medium Reporting Codes

Braille Readers

8.64%

Auditory Readers

9.39%

Pre-readers

16.96%

Visual Readers

30.95%

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers

34.07%

Student Percentages by Secondary Reading Medium Reporting Codes

Auditory Readers

29.96%

Braille Readers

5.22%

Not Applicable

60.38%

Visual Readers

4.44%

Student Readers by Reading Medium

Visual Readers

63.2%

Braille Readers

17.2%

Auditory Readers

19.2%

Note: Total number of student readers: 30,237

Explanation of Reading Media

Visual Readers: Students primarily using print.

Braille Readers: Students primarily using braille.

Auditory Readers: Students primarily using a reader or auditory material.

Pre-readers: Students working on or toward a readiness level; infants, preschoolers, or older students with reading potential.

Symbolic Readers / Non-readers: Students who do not demonstrate traditional print or braille reading potential (symbolic readers); non-reading students; students who do not fall into any of the above categories.

Secondary Reading Medium indicates the medium used in addition to a student’s primary reading medium to access educational materials and other information.

Note: These data were collected and prepared by the Department of Field Services of the American Printing House for the Blind in the administration of the Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind of 1879.